How to Make a Free QR Code That Never Expires
Imagine a café that prints a menu QR code on every table, only for the codes to stop working six months later because the "free" generator made dynamic codes that redirect through its own server, and the free period has ended. Every table card has to be reprinted. It happens more often than you'd think. QR code generator makes static codes: what you type is stored in the pattern itself, so there's no middleman to switch it off.
What kinds of codes
Pick the type first: link, plain text, Wi-Fi, UPI payment, contact card, WhatsApp, email, SMS, phone, or calendar event. Fill in the fields, and the code redraws as you type.
Static means no expiry and no tracking
There's no redirect server. The code works for as long as whatever it contains works (if it's a link, as long as that page exists), and no one counts your scans. That's the trade-off: you can't change a printed static code's destination later, and you don't get scan analytics. For menus, Wi-Fi cards, business cards and payment stands, that's usually exactly what you want.
Hindi, other scripts and emoji are encoded as UTF-8. Long content uses larger QR versions, up to version 40, which holds 2,953 bytes at the lowest error correction level. In practice, keep content short; smaller codes scan faster.
Verified before you download
After drawing the code, the page reads it back with a real barcode decoder and compares the result to what you entered. Wait for the green Verified line before downloading. That catches problems like a logo covering too much, or colours with too little contrast.
Design without breaking it
Under Design you can change colours, module style and error correction, and add a caption or a logo. Adding a logo switches error correction to High so the code survives the covered area, and the verification runs again. My rules:
- Dark code on a light background. Inverted codes fail on some scanners.
- Simple logo, not a detailed photo.
- Print at least 3 cm wide; bigger if people scan from a distance.
Useful types, with examples
UPI for a shop counter. Choose UPI payment, enter your UPI ID and name, and leave the amount empty so customers type it. Pay yourself ₹1 from a different app before printing.
Wi-Fi for guests. Choose Wi-Fi network, enter the name, password and security type. iPhone and Android cameras offer to join when scanned. Stick it on the fridge and stop spelling out your password.
Contact card on the back of a business card, so people save your details in one tap.
Calendar event on a wedding or event invitation.
Formats
- PNG for screens, WhatsApp and slides.
- SVG for designers; it scales without blur and opens in Figma or Illustrator.
- PDF for printing: a 6 cm vector code on an A4 page.
For many codes, say one per product or table, open Batch, paste one line per code (optionally a filename, a comma, then the content) and download a ZIP of PNG or SVG files.
Privacy
According to the page, everything runs in the tab: the text, Wi-Fi password and logo aren't uploaded, and the Wi-Fi password is never put in the page address or saved. Google ads appear on the page, as on the rest of the site.
FAQ
Do these codes expire? No. They work as long as their content does.
Can I make a UPI code? Yes; leave the amount blank for customers to enter.
Can I add a logo? Yes, and the page checks it still scans.
Which format for print? PDF or SVG. PNG for screens.
Make a code that will still work next year with QR code generator.
— Alok Kumar Singh